


A Moment of Silence

by cocoalubber



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Harry Potter - Freeform, Poetry, Romance, Severus - Freeform, Severus Snape-centric, Tragic Romance, dumbledore - Freeform, snape - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:22:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26236354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cocoalubber/pseuds/cocoalubber
Summary: Severus Snape takes a break from the war to remember.Just a one-off about a favorite literary character, reflection, love, loss, grief.
Kudos: 3





	A Moment of Silence

Severus crumpled the small piece of parchment deep into the palm of his hand. He sat, silent, his mind drifting back and forth between his duty and his deference. The headmaster had sent for him and Severus knew he needed to go, but she weighed heavily on his heart today and he wanted no more than to sit, alone, with his wine and his thoughts. Perhaps some comfort could be found in the drowning of memories.

In his private chambers the minutes ticked off, one by one, on the old brass ship's clock mounted on the otherwise stark wall. Hogwarts was far more comfortable than Spinner's End and half as drafty. He could smell the books that crammed the shelves in the small sitting room. His hand mindlessly caressed the arm of the leather chair in front of the glowing fireplace. The masculine four-poster bed sat neatly made just beyond a large, wooden room divider. The divider, hand-carved in rich mahogany, was a favorite with its forest scene wherein a doe stood grazing. She would raise her head and look over at him often, as such things do in a magical world.

Severus turned to stare out the long, narrow window. He wondered how different his life would be had he chosen to go to sea when his maternal grandfather had offered to whisk him away as a boy, an eternity ago. The unhappy childhood behind him, his parents, long since gone, had never shown the slightest interest in the son they had brought into this world. Severus had not heard from his mother or father after he left home nearly 18 years ago. He had made no effort to contact them. They had died separately, as they had lived. That part of his life, too, was buried and gone.

His 36 years have exacted a great toll on the hauntingly broody young man and the storm outside did nothing to ease Severus' already melancholy mood. The rain fell steadily, heavy at times, and the dark skies rumbled through the day and, now, into the evening. Severus took a sip of wine, swirling the nectar around in his mouth, allowing it's intoxicating powers to drift up and through his brain. 'It might help' , he thought. But it never does.

The forgotten summons slipped from Severus' hand as he reached for a book on the small antique table next to his armchair. Severus ran his hand over the worn leather-bound cover. His fingers traced across the faded embossed title, "Poems of The Sea". Tenderly, almost lovingly, he opened the volumn and set his hand flat upon the bookmarked page. He raised his head and pressed it against the chair, closing his eyes as if to hold back the sadness. He drew in a deep breathe before returning his gaze to the words.

Lost inside himself, Severus did not notice that Albus Dumbledore had appeared at the still-open door of his chambers. Keeping silent, the old man realized his trusted soldier, and friend, was not up to another night of skulking about Knockturn Alley seeking information, no matter how vital to the cause. At that moment the younger wizard began to read from the book he held in his hands. Dumbledore stood quietly to listen as Severus' low, resonant voice barely broke the silence of the room.

"Annabel Lee  
by Edgar Allen Poe

It was many and many a year ago,  
In a kingdom by the sea,  
That a maiden there lived whom you may know  
By the name of Annabel Lee;  
And this maiden she lived with no other thought  
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,  
In this kingdom by the sea:  
But we loved with a love that was more than love -  
I and my Annabel Lee;  
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven  
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,  
In this kingdom by the sea,  
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling  
My beautiful Annabel Lee;  
So that her high-born kinsmen came  
And bore her away from me,  
To shut her up in a sepulchre  
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,  
Went envying her and me -  
Yes! that was the reason (as all men know,  
In this kingdom by the sea)  
That the wind came out of the cloud one night,  
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love  
Of those who were older than we -  
Of many far wiser than we -  
And neither the angels in heaven above,  
Nor the demons down under the sea,  
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul  
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams  
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;  
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes  
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;  
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side  
Of my darling -my darling -my life and my bride,  
In the sepulchre there by the sea -  
In her tomb by the sounding sea."

A tear landed on the page. Severus closed the book and raised his head slightly to, again, peer out of the window. Another tear rolled down his high, sharp cheekbone. Dumbledore turned and walked out of the dungeon. This was not a night for waging the battles of war, but rather for remembering the cost.


End file.
